Obituary, Ann Fleming Wood, 90

1922-2013

Ann Fleming Wood passed away at Virginia Mason on May 14, 2013 after a brief illness.

She was born Hazel Ann Fleming on July 9, 1922, to Hazel McCalip Fleming and Samuel Edgar Fleming. She attended John Muir Elementary, Fraklin High School and Oregon State University, where she was Senior Class President.

At the end of the war, she married returning naval officer Raymond Charles Wood of Washougal, Wash. Ray dreamed of the Alaska salmon business and they lived in Craig in 1947 where Ray worked for Libby's. Ray became a superintendent for Libby and during a summer running the cannery in Scow Bay, Ray and Ann fell in love with Petersburg. They started their own cannery, Petersburg Seafoods, at the site of the current Trident Plant. They then merged with Specialty Processors to become Petersburg Processors, located just south of the ferry terminal.

Ann and Ray had three sons, Tom, George, and Barney. Ann moved the family to Petersburg every spring and to Seattle every fall, following the migratory salmon industry.

Ann worked in the cannery every summer, sliming salmon, hand-packing 4# cans, preparing mug-up, and helping with the books. She loved the salmon business and admired the women of Petersburg, whom she credited with making the community an attractive place to live and to raise children. Some of Ann's favorite memories were picnics out the road and remote travels with the “Sumdum Girls.” Ruth Sandvik, Roxie Lee, Polly Lee and Doris Smith. In the early 1980s, Ann helped design the Petersburg Bunad for the Syttende Mai celebration. Ann and Ray traveled north every spring until Ray's death in Petersburg in 1993.

Ann was an “attentive grandmother” to Sam, Karsten, Lil, Karl, Jane, Whitney, and Ella, and she was an appreciative mother-in-law to Sue, Liz, Melet and Annabaker.

Ann was grateful for her life and for having an agile mind to the end.